Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) yesterday visited Taipei Zoo to see panda Yuan Yuan (圓圓) and her newborn cub.
Hau said that he had been in Kazan, Russia, when he heard the news that Yuan Yuan had given birth, adding that he had been overjoyed at the news.
The panda perfectly embodies Taipei’s “Good Pregnancy” drive, Hau said, adding that aside from bringing honey made from the flowers of longan trees, a favorite snack of Yuan Yuan’s, he had also brought NT$20,000 for the zoo.
The city government launched its “Good Pregnancy” program in January 2011, offering a NT$20,000 subsidy for every child born in the city, in a bid to encourage women to become pregnant.
Hau joked that Yuan Yuan had approved the use of the money for zoo staff that have worked round the clock to take care of her and her cub, adding that many of the staff had black circles around their eyes from exhaustion.
The Chinese term for describing such a state is “Panda eyes” (xiongmaoyan, 熊貓眼) due to the similarity with how a panda’s black fur encircles its eyes.
Hau said the cub was healthy and strong, and was heavier than most when born, a sign of good health, adding that it was starting to develop a panda’s customary stripes.
Hau also thanked experts from the Chinese Panda Protection research Institute who traveled to Taipei to help with the birth.
It is an exemplary example of cross-strait animal protection and conservation efforts, Hau said.
The zoo said that the cub now weighs 286.8g, 103.4g more than it did at birth.
POLAM KOPITIAM CASE: Of the two people still in hospital, one has undergone a liver transplant and is improving, while the other is being evaluated for a liver transplant A fourth person has died from bongkrek acid poisoning linked to the Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) restaurant in Taipei’s Far Eastern Sogo Xinyi A13 Department Store, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said yesterday, as two other people remain seriously ill in hospital. The first death was reported on March 24. The man had been 39 years old and had eaten at the restaurant on March 22. As more cases of suspected food poisoning involving people who had eaten at the restaurant were reported by hospitals on March 26, the ministry and the Taipei Department of Health launched an investigation. The Food and
A fourth person has died in a food poisoning outbreak linked to the Xinyi (信義) branch of Malaysian restaurant chain Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) in Taipei, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝) said on Monday. It was the second fatality in three days, after another was announced on Saturday. The 40-year-old woman experienced multiple organ failure in the early hours on Monday, and the family decided not to undergo emergency resuscitation, Wang said. She initially showed signs of improvement after seeking medical treatment for nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, but her condition worsened due to an infection, he said. Two others who
MEDICAL: The bills would also upgrade the status of the Ethical Guidelines Governing the Research of Human Embryos and Embryonic Stem Cell Research to law The Executive Yuan yesterday approved two bills to govern regenerative medicine that aim to boost development of the field. Taiwan would reach an important milestone in regenerative medicine development with passage of the regenerative medicine act and the regenerative medicine preparations ordinance, which would allow studies to proceed and treatments to be developed, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝) told reporters at a news conference after a Cabinet meeting. Regenerative treatments have been used for several conditions, including cancer — by regenerating blood cells — and restoring joint function in soft tissue, Wang said. The draft legislation requires regenerative treatments
Taiwanese should be mindful when visiting China, as Beijing in July is likely to tighten the implementation of policies on national security following the introduction of two regulations, a researcher said on Saturday. China on Friday unveiled the regulations governing the law enforcement and judicial activities of national security agencies. They would help crack down on “illegal” and “criminal” activities that Beijing considers to be endangering national security, according to reports by China’s state media. The definition of what constitutes a national security threat in China is vague, Taiwan Thinktank researcher Wu Se-chih (吳瑟致) said. The two procedural regulations are to provide Chinese